Car safety device



Jam 2 319923. 1A4A11 P. J, SIMMEN. CAR SAFETY DEVICE, FILEDIMAR-JIO.3919.1,

F/a/f 22-. f: Z8 2 "37333952 7 5 T *4 W i. y ATTO 15 ill) Patented Jan.2, 1%23.

UNETED STATES PAUL J. SIMIVIEN, OF BUFFALO. NEXV YORK.

CAR SAFETY DEVICE.

Application filed March 10, 1919.

To r/l/ u-lmm 1'? may concern:

lie it known that 1. Pan. J. Sunnis, a citizen of the I nited States.and a resident of the city of Butl'alo. in the county of Erie and Stateof New York. have invented a new and useful (ar Safety Device. of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to derails. and particularly to derails which areautomatically operated by an approaching car.

The primary object oi my invention is to prevent a car from exceeding asafe speed.

Another object of my invention is to prevent one car from colliding withanother car.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specificationand the novel features of the device will he particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail. reterence is had to theaccompanying drawin wherein l luive schematically illustrated apreferred physical embodiment of my invention. and wherein likecharacters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views. and in which Figure l is a schematic illustration of mydevice designed to prevent excessive speed: Fig. 2. is a schematicillustration of my device designed not only to prevent excessive speedbut also prevent one car tron] colliding with another car.

On many of the railways of this and other countries cars are used whichare not equipped with air brakes consequently the well known track tripcannot be employed to stop the car by opening the train pipe.nevertheless these cars are operated on tracks of very short curvatureand steep downgrade and are operated by men who may through inexperienceor inattention cause or allow the car to attain a dangerous speed. .\lydevice as shown schematically by Fig. I will prevent such excessivespeed.

'l have shown all parts both in Fig. l and in l ig. 2 schennlticallbecause I desire to have it well understood that no particular design ofderail. signal. switch operating machine. delayed action device. relayor source of current is essential to my invention. .\ny ol' the wellknown forms ot these devices now commonly used suitable for my purposesmay he and are intended to be used. Furthermore no particular track construction is necessary for my invention he- Serial No. 281,810.

cause the principle may be applied by those skilled in the art to anysuitable torin.

In Fig. 1. 1 and 2 designate the two rails of a trackway. which isdivided into electrically insulated sections by the insulating Joints-t. 5 and. (3 in the well known manner using any ot.the well known andapproved t'ornis of such insulating joints.

To the. track rail 2 I apply aderail. shown as a point derail. but anysuitable form may be used which when in one position will derail apassing car and in another position will allow the car to pass sately.lhe'derail which I have selected. and which is shown merelyschematically. consists of a stock rail 7 and a movable point 8. In thefigure it is shown in the open position. which is well umlerstood andwhich as is well understood is the normal position of a derail asconnnonlv used and as the open point t'aces the direction ot tratlieitis known as a 't'acing" derail. It is normally maintained in openposition by any suitable or commonly used means such as a spring 9. oneend of which is suitably attached to the inovahle point and the otherend of which is suitably t-astened to a suitable support as pin 10. Inthe torm shown I have. put the spring under tension by bending it overfixed pin 11.

To show whether the derail is open or closed I have for the purposes ofillustration shown a signal 12. schematically. positioned just to theright of the derail as seen by an approcahing train it being understood.that in Fig. l. the direction of traflic is in the di rection of arrowX. For purposes of illustration l have connected a rod 13 to the derailto the other end of which is connected a pivoted right angle crankhaving its other arm connected by a rod H to the pivoted signal blade12. This construction is intended to be such that when the derail isopen the signal indication is danger but when the derail is closed thesignal indication is clear.

I do not intend to limit myself toa signal connected directly to thederail but. leave the selection of the signal and its mode of connectionto the skill of those versed in this art. as it is well understood bythose skilled in this art. that for thev purposes of this invention thesignal need not be connected to the derail or instact be dependent on itin any way, except to correspond with it in position.

In orderto close the derail I preferably employ. and have schematicallyshown for the purposes of illustration; a mot('n'-15, indirating thearmature by 16 and one of the brushes by 17 and the other by 18 althoughof course by showing brushesl do not mean any, suitable o shown itdirectly connected, to linkv 20. "The link :20 is connected to thederail. Illhecon-Y struction ;1s,such that when current/ is apipliedtootheg motor the derail is closed.

Although. hate shown the link 2Q acted uponwby a ('OInpreSSlQn fOI'CG130 close to exclude a brushless motor. The armature ot' the motor isconnected by crank arm 19 in appropriate, n1anner;-I ha ve= the deraildesire it: understood that, my; 1nventum.,1s not confined thereto.because,

I; do not intend to exclude a pulling force.

'lheici'rcuit ofthe motoriis normally open consequently the normalpositionof the g lerail normally open in the form shown, but as Is ellknown to thosesk lled in this artthe dera l might .well be normallyclosethuinler such conditionjif ,th e means; used .to open and close thtQHCIIIt Of the,

motor were suitably arranged although it is considered preferably, iractice to use a= derail with such; associated apparatus that I it willbe normall-yopen.

Inorder to control thecircuit ot' the IIl O-Ji tor I preferablyemploy a,means operated.

upon by the car.) The preferred torm of this 1- means inoludes the rellknown track ircult section wlhchl have illustrated in the normallyclosed form, .as that I" l' elie\'e is the preferable-form.

21 is a source of current shown as a battery, connectedacross the railsatfone, endot the section landIQQ designates a re lay, shownas a direct,current relay connected across the railsat the other end of 'the sectionfllizitis. have illustrated the end ted type ottraok circuit ratherthan] the center fed, I because somewhat, simpler to show. As is wellunderstood acar pass-,

ing insulating jointi ikand 4 moving in' the direction of the arrow,i\vould shunt relay 22 and cause its armature I to, fall. Armature 23 e( ntrols a solenoid 2 1. eircui't is positive terminal otbat-te'ry 25,

Wire26, solenoid 21, wi rel27. armature 23;

and \Yllt 28 fto the negative tiern'iinal ot' the battery. \Vhile thiscircuit is formed solenoid 24 is energized and .iron core 29 is held tothe upper limit ot its intvnient'. The entrance of a car onto the trackrails 1 and 2. howerer. deen ergi /Jes solenoid 21 and the coreit) istree todropl, 'lhe dropping ot' plunger 2%) is not prevented I but itisimpeded, by adorn-e tohe hereii'iatter time elapses betweeni theileei'ieigizat-ion of solenoid 24 and'the reaching of its loiverfposition by core '29. When core 29 reaches its lower posit-ion its end30 contacts with ,rlesoi'ilie l. in such wise tha'tfapredeterniined'coreftip 30;wire 34, to motor 15, through grent flowing ;in the I aboy lpauses the motorto operateiand close the its downward moi ement,"veffect in any suitablao threeballs 43;;

of such eigh I r H I t turns gear Ewheeflll in the direction 0t and itivillbe arranged so'that anyiprede- .41 rotates" freely about spider 43because" 'p lun'ger 29" I naypi'ise almostinstantly to its extreme upperposition," and the parts free from excessive frictionfthat"this is sn'inpjs -31. so that a circuit'is conipl'eted through the motor 15. Thiscircuit is from the positive terminal of'a source of current, shown as abattery 32, wire 33, springs 31,

motor lf shmyn as entering by brush 17 and leavin'gby brush18 and Wire35 to the negative terminal ot'bat-tery 32. The out traced circuit ongear heel 39fmesh with the teeth on annular gem-Wheel 41' Ans lmearWheel 41 is -mounted on hat be called a frlc tion clutch con'si stingjota spider 42 p and .W'hen' plunger 29' 'isre leased by. solenoid 24 vanddrops being made. '95" tandi reason vof its Weight the row n tlie'i'fa'c gthereot'. "This direc tion of movement causes'tlie'balls43'toroll' upon ,thearms of the spider 42 and cln'tc'hfioo 4:1 and, 42-together and so drive yane' 44,

which is attached, to spiderf4c3. This vane offers, suchresistance'thatfthe plunger '29 l,

and the trainof gears must "nitw'e' slowly""* termined time must velapsebetween "the starting o f thejdownwa'rd motion of plunger 29 anditscontact iyitlnspring 31,- If the solenoid is again energized thegea1's" are"' rotated in thefopposfite direction andfgear 11o ivhenrotated in a direction; opposite to that indicatedby the arrow on theface thereof v The ithe ballsas iseyident and Well understood? do notclutch 4:1 andAQ together and so may be of such ligiht consti' uctionand so easily accomplished.-

Vtlith such a construction as has'beien" hereinbeforeldesc'ribed if a'car 'inoving in th'exj direction of arrow passes'insulating joints" 3and 1; the 'relay ZQ WilI be 'deene'rgizedhfl causin denergization 0tsolenoid '24." The plunger 29 \vill begginfto fall butas it takes apredeterminedtime t'or toretip tiO totemh tact irit-h'springs-ll'ifthecar ism-lovin at" too rapid a rate of speed it willieach'de rail 8.while it is open and the car will be derailed, but if the carruns at the proper rate of speed then by the time it reaches derail 8,the core tip 30 will have contacted with springs 31, the motor circuitwill have been closed and the derail closed so that the car may proceedwithout being derailed.

In order to bring the car when derailed to a stop properly and gentlybut still quickly I prefer to provide a rail or barrier parallel to rail2 of the trackway and fill the intervening space with some suitablematerial such as sand which will greatly impede the onward movement ofthe carwheels but at the same time will not otter such a greatresistance as will bring the car to a too abrupt stop. This barrier maybe of any desired length as found proper in practice for specific localconditions to suitably guide the derailed car. I

It will be thus seen that the devices and arrangements of Fig. 1 aresuch that they may be applied to a trackway in all conceivablesituations and that even if a car is not equipped with air brakes it maybe successfully stopped it it exceeds a predetermined speed, that is,passes over a fixed distance in too short a time. Not only may thisarrangement be used with cars without air brakes but may also be used asan addi-' tional safety means in conjunction with the ordinary tripswhich apply the air brakes on cars which are equipped with air brakes.

In many situations it is not only desirable to prevent a car fromexceeding a predetermined speed but it is also desirable to prevent acar from proceeding when a car is in too close proximity ahead. Iaccomplish this object by the means illustrated schematically by Fig.2'. I have illustrated my invention schen'iatically because noparticular apparatus is essential to my invention, any of the ordinaryand well known apparatuses of suitable construction may be .used.

In Fig. 2 I have shown two-whole blocks or sections and a portion of athird, designated A, B, and C. The apparatuses used in the arrangementof Fig. 2 I have illustrated as identical with those of Fig. 1 so theymay be given the same designating numerals, but the circuit arrangementis different for the motor circuit, because instead of having thecircuit of motor 15 depend entirely on plunger 2;), I have it alsodepend upon the armature of the track relay in the section in advance.The circuit of motor 15 in section A will therefore be as follows:positive terminal of battery 32, wire 33, tip 30, wire 34, motor 15,wire 46, armature. ii of relay 22, and wire 48 to the negative terminalof battery 32. The result is that if a car passes the insulating jointsand st moving in the direction of arrow X it will deenergize relay 22and so deenergize solenoid 24 and cause core tip 30 to fall into contactwith springs 31 only after a predetermined time. by reason of the deviceindicated generally by 'l in both tigures. so that if the car istravelling at too great a speed it will be derailed because when itreaches the derail it willfind it open. Even if the car is travelling atthe proper speed before and at the time it reaches derail 8 it willstill find the derail open if a car is in section B, because with a carin section B the relay 22 of that section is deenergized and itsarmature I7 in the lower position so that eve-n if 30 makes contact with31 the circuit of the motor will still be open at arn'iature 47 so thatthe derail will still be open.

This construction and arrangement as shown schematically by Fig. 2 thusprovides not only for e. \'cessive speed but also provides a means forpreventing collisions.

Although I have particularly described the construction of one physicalembodiment of my invention and explained the operation and principlethereof; nevertheless, I desire to have it understood that the formselected is merely illustrative, but does not exhaust the possiblephysical embodiments of the idea of means underlying my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is 1. In a device for securing safety in car movtunents, incombination: a trackway; a car; a movable derail in the trackway; meansfor indicating the position of the derail; a time interval device; meansoperated by the car for starting the time interval device in operationand means controlled by the time interval device at the expiration ofits time. interval for moving the derail to allow passage of the carover the derail.

2. In a device for securing safety in car movements, in combination: atrackway; means forming a track circuit section in said traclcwayincluding a source of current and a translating device; a time intervaldevice controlled by the translating device and a derail in thet-rackway controlled by the time interval device.

3. In a device for securing safety in car movements, in combination: atrackway; a car; ,a second car; means for derailing the first said carif it consumes less than a predetermined timeinmoving from a certainpoint in the trackway to another certain point in the trackway or if thesecond mentioned car is within a given section of the. trackway.

4t. In a device for securing safety in car movements, in combination: atrackway; a first car: a second car; means controlled by the second carfor derailiug the first car if. the first car is operated by a certainpoint in the traclnvay while the second car is occupying a certainsection of the trackway.

In a device for securing safety in car movements, in comliination: atrackway divided into track circuit. sections each inchidin; a tranlatin deviee and a Hnlllle ol' enrrent: derail in the traekvva v in eaehsertion': a time interval deviee ilShUl'illtktt \vith eaeh seeti n eachtime interval deviee heing' governed h v-the translatin; deviee of theseetion \vith \vhieh it is assoeiated: llltilllh governed h v the timeinterval deviee of one seetion and the translating deviee of anothersection for controlling the de'ail oi" the seetion with \vliieh the timeinterval le viee is assoeiated.

(3. In a deviee for seem-in safety in ear movements, in eomhination: atraeltvvay divided into traek eirenit seetions eaeli ineluding a sourceof enrrent and a translating deviee: means eontrolled by the translatin;devices to derail a air if it exeeedts a predetermined speed in passingfrom one eertain point to another in the traelnvav.

7. In a device for seenring: safety in ear movements. in eoinhination: a,t 'aelnvafv di vided into traek eirenit seetions eaeh inelnding aHnlree of enrrent and a t -anslating de viee: means eontrolled h thetranslating deviees to derail a ear it' it exeeeds a predetermined speedin pasin j from one eertain point to another in the traeltwav or itanother ear oeenpies a given seetion ot the traekvvay.

H. In a deviee for seellrinp; safety in ear movements. in eomhination: atrm'luvay: a ear: means for deraiiintl' the ear it' it eonsnmes lessthan a prevIetermined time in moving from a eertain point in the traek-\\'a to another eertain point in the traek- \va and means for l'eeeivingand guiding and inipeding' the further movement of the ear.

PAUL J. SIMMIGN.

